Compound internal-combustion engine.



C. M. ALLEN.

COMPOUND INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

v APPLICATION FILED WM: 1.6. I914. I 1 153! 8810 Patented Sept. 21, 1915. v 9 I 9 2 SHEETS-SHEET].

C. M. ALLEN.

COMPOUND INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED 1UNE16. 1914.

1 1588L Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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- COMPOUND INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 2151, i915.

Application filed June 16, 1914. Serial no. 84.5,382.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES M. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Compound Interrial-Combustion Engines, of which the following isa specification.

. This invention relates to a compound internal combustion engine.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a compound cylinder engine of the Diesel type, in which gases under compression are ignited and partly in one cylinder, and then by passed to a second cylinder and completely expanded before they are allowed to escape or exhaust. 1

Another object of the inventionis to pro-' vide a novel means for compressing the air gether with a valve'mechanism for by-passing the gas from one cylinder to the other and finally exhaustinlg 25 3 same.

Further objects wi hereinafter appear. The inventionconsists of ,the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the engine, showing the valve in the exhausting position. 'Fig. 2 is a similar section, showing the valve in the lay-passing position. Fig. 3 is a cross section of the valve.

Referring to the drawings, A and B indi-v cate apair of superposed working-cylinders, in the lower of which is slidably .moun'ted an ordinary trunk piston 2, which is connected to a crank-shaft 3 in the usual manner by means "of a connecting-redid.

Mounted in the upper cylinder B,

which is-considerably larger in diameter than the cylinder A, is a double acting piston 5; which operates in unison with the piston 2, being therewith by means of a piston-rodti. Formed on the side of the lower cylinder, and in a pbsition approximatel midway betweenrthe upper and lower cylin ers, is a cylindrical-shaped, primar combustion cylinder 7. In is mounted a piston valve8, and connecting said cylinder with. an exhaust pi e 9 and the upper and lower work cylin ers are mounted at the lower end this cylinder ports 10, 11 and 12, respectively; a threeway port 18 being provided in the pist 11 valve to form communication between the several ports at fixed time periods hereinafter to be described.

The piston valve is adapted to be reciprocated in the cylinder '2' through the following connections: Suitably secured upon the crank-shaft is an eccentric 1i, and connecting the eccentric with a pivoted rocker arm 15 is a link 16. The opposite side of the rocker-arm 15 is connected through means of a link 17 with a valve stem 18 by which thepiston valve is carried. Forming communication between the upper end of cylinder B and cylinder 7 is a port 19 and ofsaid port, or in the head'of cylinder 7, is a suitable form of check valve 20. An admission valve of a similar'type, indicated at 21, is mounted on the head of the cylinder for the purpose of admitting air on the down stroke of piston 5. This valve will, however, automatically close on the up stroke of the piston and the air will consequently be highly compressed and forced out and down through port 19 into the cylinder 7 where it is checked from returning back to the cylinder B by the valve 20. U

The engine shown in the present instance is operated on the Diesel principle, but an ignition plug, or similar means, may be mounted-in the head of cylinder 7 if itis desired to operate it on'the ordinary low pressure, two cycle principle. The air compressed by iston 5 and by which cylinder is charge is supposed to attain a pressure of approximately five hundred pounds and a temperature sufiiciently high to ignite any combustible material which may be sprayed or otherwise injected intothe cylinder. I 4

A fuel pump 22, of suitable construction, operated by means of a rocker-arm 23 and a link 24.- directly connected with the main connecting-rod is provided in the present instance. The fuel. discharging from said pump is conve ed through a pipe 25 up into a fuel or equa izing chamber 26 from which it is permitted to pass through a radial port 27, in which is mounted a releasing valve 28. The fuel, when liberated by the releasing valvein a manner hereinafter to be described, is finally permitted to escape through a suitable form of nozzle, indicated at 29, from where it is injected directly into the cylinder 7, which has previously been charged with air under high compres- '30 to rise a suflicient distance to open a bypass port 33, which is connected by a pipe 34 with the suction side of the pump. The volume of fuel admitted through the radial port 27 and releasing valve 28 is in turn controlled by; a suitable form of needle valve 35.

The opening of the releasing valve at certain time periods ,is accomplished in the following manner: A link'36, pivotally connected in a bracket 37 at one end and connected with the valve stem 18 at the other end, is provided. An adjustable contact 38 is '-mounted on the link which is adapted to engage with the lower end of the releasing valve and lift'the same a suflicient distance to permit the escape of a desired quantity of fuel'into'thenozzle.

Beginning with the first operation, which is the downward stroke of the connected pistons in the superposed cylinders, valve 21 will first open and permit the upper cylinder tofill with air. The next operation is the lip-stroke of the connected pistons which compresses the air and forces it through port 19 and valve 20 into the cylinder 7. The fuel pump will, at the same time, force a charge of oil up into the equalizing chamher and the radial port 27. The air admitted or forced'into cylinder 7 has attained a suificient'temperature. to cause any fuel,

the down-stroke position. indicated in Fig. ll where port 12 is uncovered. The upward movement of the piston to uncover this port will at the same time raise the link 36' sufficiently to bring the adjustable stop 38 in a position where it will raise the releasing valve 28. The fuel oil under high pressure previously supplied by the pump is thus permitted to escape from the radial port 27 and nozzle 29 into 1 cylinder 7 where it is immediately ignited by the high temperature ofthe air under compression contained therein. The prodnets of combustion thus formed under high temperature are'then' permitted toescape through the port I 12 into the cylinder A, causing the pistons 2 and 5 to move in a downward direction. The fuel pump will 1n this instance move in an upward direction and take in fuel.

M 5 which now acts as the driver.

The next stroke of the pistons in an up ward direction-will cause the piston valve 8 to move down in the position indicated in Fig.2 where the three-way port 13 forms a by-pass connection between the ports 11 and 12. This will permit the products of combustion which have only partly expanded in cylinder A to escape through. the ports 11, 12 and 13 into the lower end of cylinder B where they are permitted to completely expand; the expansive force bemg transmitted to the lower side of piston At the same time that piston 5 is being lifted by the expansive action of the gases, a new charge of air, having previously been admitted through the valve 21, is being compressed and cylinder 7 charged. Valve 8 will, at the end of the upper stroke, move into the position indicated in Fig. 1 where the three-Way port 13 has opened communication between the ports lO-and 11 and opened communication between the cylinders 7 and A through means of the port 12. The next down stroke of the connected pistons will cause the expanded gases in the cylinder B to exhaust through the ports 10,

11 and 13 and will also cause the link'36 to trip the releasing valve which will inject the oil, as previously described, through the nozzle 29. The oil is immediately ignited and expanded throughport 12 into the cylinder A It can thus be seen that exhaust is taking place from the upper cylinder on the down stroke, while primary combustion and expansion' are taking place in thecylinders 7 and A, and that by-passing of the gases from the cylinder A to cylinder B istaking place on the up stroke at the same time that compression to charge the cylinder 7 is taking place. A two-cycle engine with a doublepower stroke" is thus practically produced,

as the ex ansive force of the prlmary charge in cylindbrs 7 and A drives the connected pistons in a downward direction while the expansive force of the products of combustion in the upper cylinder drives the pistons in anlupwar'd direction.

The time of fuel admission may be advanced or retarded by changing the position of the contact 38, and the volume of fuel admitted"throughv the releasing valve I and connected nozzle maybe easily regulated by 'the iieedle "valve indicated at 35; any over supply of fuel being taken care of by the plunger 30'Which controls the by-pass port 33 and the return pipe 34.

Various changes in form, proportions and minor detailsof construction may be resorted towith'inlthe scope of the appended claimsand 'I do not wish to limit myself to the specific design and construction here shown.

The materials and-finish of the several ise-sea parts of the engine are such as the experience and judgment of the manufacturer may dictate,

The upper and lower ends of the cylinder 7, that is, the opposite sides of the piston valve 8, are always in communication with each other through a pair of vertically disposed ports to and 41 formed in the piston valve.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1, In an internal combustion engine, a pair of superposed cylinders of varying diameters, a pair of connected pistons in the cylinders, a combustion chamber interposed between and communicating with the adjacent cylinder ends and having an exhaust, and a slide valve in said chamber having ports which latter in one position of the valve establish communication between both of the cylinders and in another position establish communication between the exhaust and one of the cylinders,

2. The combination in an internal combus tion engine, of a pair of superposed cylin' ders, the upper being of larger diameter than the lower, a pair of connected pistons, one in each cylinder, a cylinder extension forming a primary combustion and valve chamber and having four ports formed therein, one port connecting with the upper end of the lower cylinder, the second port with. the lower end of the upper cylinder, the third port with an exhaust pipe, and the fourth with the upper end of the upper cylinder, means for injecting fuel into said chamber, a piston valve in the chamber having a three-way port formed therein adapted to form communication between the several ports, and means for operating said piston. valve in conjunction with the connected pistons in the upper and lower cylinders= 3. The combination in an internal combustion engine, of a pair of superposed cylinders, the upper being of larger diameter than the lower, a pair of connected pistons, one in each cylinder, a cylinder extension forming a primary combustion and valve chamber and having four ports formed therein, one port connecting with the upper end of the lower cylinder, the second port with the lower end of the upper cylinder, the third port with an exhaust pipe, and the fourth with the upper end of the upper cylinder, a check valve mounted inthe fourth port, an air inlet valve mounted in the upper cylinder, a piston valve in the primary combustion chamber having a three-way port formed therein adapted to form communication between the several ports, and means for operating said piston valve in conjunction with the connected pistons in the upper and lower cylinders l. The combination in an internal combustion engine, of a pair of superposed cylinders, the upper being of larger diameter than the lower, a pair of connected pistons, one in each cylinder, a cylinder extension forming a primary combustion and valve chamber and having four ports formed therein, one port connecting with the upper parts, means for operating said piston valve in conjunction with the main connected pistons, a spray nozzle connected with the chamber, a fuel pump, a fuel pressure regu lating and compensating chamber interposed between the pump and spray nozzle, a fuel releasing valve interposed between the compensating chamber and the spray nozzle, and means for opening said valven 5. The combination in an internal combustionengine, of a pair of superposed cylinders, the upper being of larger diameter than the lower, a pair of connected pistons, one in each cylinder, a cylinder extension forming a primary combustion and valve chamber and having four ports formed therein, one port connecting with the upper end of the lower cylinder, the second port with the lower end of the upper cylinder, the third port with an exhaust pipe, and the fourth with the upper end of the upper cylinder, a piston valve in the chamber having a three-way port formed therein adapted to form communication between the several ports, means for operating said piston valve in conjunction with the main connected pis tons, a spray nozzle connected .with the chamber, a fuel pump, a fuel pressure regulating and compensating chamber interposed between the pump and spray nozzle, a fuel releasing valve interposed between the compensating chamber and the spray nozzle, means connected with the piston valve for opening said valve, meansfor regulating the lift of said valve, and means for regulating the fuel supply passing through the last named valve and connected spray nozzle 6. In an internal combustion engine, a pair of superposed cylinders of varying di ameters, a pair of connected pistons in the cylinders, a combustion chamber interposed between and communicating with the adjacent inner ends of the cylinders and dis posed in proximity to said adjacent cylinder ends, and unitary means in said cha1nher to control the communications between the chamber and cylinders so as to admit the exploded combustible mixture to one cylinder and to then by-pass the products of combustion to the other cylinder.

7. In an internal combustion engine, a

pair of superposed cylinders of varying diameters, a pair of connected pistons in the cylinders, a combustion chamber interposed between and communicating withv the adjac'ent inner ends of the cylinders and disposedin proximity to said adjacent cylinder ends, means to admit compressed air to said chamber, separate means to feed oil to said chamber to allow the air and oil to mix and explode, and unitary means in said chamber to admit the exploded'combustible mixture to one cylinder and to then by-pass the products of combustion to the other cylinder. p

8. In an internal combustion engine, a pair of superposed cylinders, a pair of connected pistons in the cylinders, a combustion chamber communicating with the adjacent inner ends of the cylinders, means whereby combustible mixture is exploded in said chamber and unitary means in said chamber to admit theexploded mixture to one cylinder and to then by-pass the products of combustion to the other cylinder.

9. In an internal combustion engine, a pair of superposed cylinders of varying diameters, a pair of connected pistons in the cylinders, a combustion chamber interposed between and communicating with the adjacent cylinder ends and having an exhaust, and movable means in said chamber having ports which latter in one position establish communication between both of the cylinders and in another position establish communication between the exhaust and one of the cylinders.

10. In an internal combustion engine, the

combination of a pair of working cylinders,

a piston in each and a piston-rodconnecting the pistons, a combustion chamber interposed between and communicating with the adjacent inner ends of the cylinders, a piston valve in the latter controlling communication between the working cylinders, means by which one of said Working cylinder pis tons compresses an air charge into the combustion chamber to be met by an entering charge of fuel and ignited, means for delivering said charge of fuel thereinto prevliminary to said ignition, and means controlled by said piston valve by which the gases resulting from said ignition are expanded successively into the working cylinders.

11. In an internal combustion engine, a pair of superposed cylinders, a pair of connected pistons in the cylinders, a combustion chamber communicating with the adjacent Witnesses.

CHARLES M. ALLEN. Witnesses: JOHN H. HERRING,

W. W. HEALEY. 

